“There’s a lot to be thankful for today.
To the organizers of the Black Lives Matter candlelight vigil in Stark Park, thank you for your peaceful and powerful message, and thank you to everyone who attended and listened.
Thank you also to Chief Carlo Capano for putting together a solid, thoughtful plan in light of potential threats to our community, and together with the men and women of the Manchester Police Department and other state and federal agencies, implemented it impeccably. The Manchester Police Department had a presence at the peaceful candlelight vigil and managed a few tense situations throughout the city that resulted in no injuries, no reports of damage to property as of last night, and few arrests.
I know there’s work we need to do, and in the short term, we’ll be:
* Expanding the Mayor’s Multicultural Advisory Council to include members from the Black Lives Matter movement
* Working to implement diversity and cultural competency training for city employees who interact directly with the public
* Scheduling community conversations so we can hear directly from Manchester residents about how we as a city can do better
This is just the beginning. As Mayor, I am committed to continuing to listen and to help create positive change across our community.”
